Contaminated Areas and Sites - A to Z

Contaminated Areas and Sites Legislation for Tasmania
TPEHN is currently reviewing the Tasmanian Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act [Part 5A - Contaminated Sites] for the purposes of amendments to this legislation and/or drafting specific Tasmanian Contaminated Areas and Sites Legislation. We are seeking advice from the Environmental Defenders Office {Tasmania] to assist with drafting this new legislation. Submissions to this review can be sent to Isla MacGregor, email: opal@intas.net.au

Turning Tips into Playgrounds
During the 1960s the conversion of suburban tips in Hobart into playing fields and childrens recreation areas was a popular activity. According to the Hobart City Council it made economic sense. At the time the council envisaged converting 60 acres of old refuse sites over the next 30 years [tips located at the Cross Roads on the Domain, at Wellesley Park in South Hobart, at New Town Bay and at Whitton's Quarry near the suburb of Dynnyrne]. These suburban rubbish tips are now well used sports ovals and outdoor recreation areas.

Water Contamination from existing Tip and Waste Sites
In 2001 a report of water contamination at existing tip sites in Tasmania highlighted the long-term effects of waste disposal on groundwater quality. The report identified five disposal sites that had contaminated groundwater; it included the Hobart City Council’s waste dump at McRobie’s Gully located in the suburb of South Hobart. The other sites with groundwater concerns were at Port Latta, Port Sorell, Mt George near Georgetown and Bridport.

“Groundwater contamination has been discovered mostly on older sites which were not built to current standards but which have met the standard of the day", the then Minister of the Environment, David Llewellyn said.

Mr Llewellyn said that while the Minerals Resources Tasmania report would not be finalised until November 2001, the Government believed it was necessary to start working with municipal councils to identify the extent of contamination and determine whether future groundwater protection strategies were required. The study also looked at the two existing land-fill tip sites in the Glenorchy City Council municipality at Jackson and Chapel Streets.

In 2002 a Mineral Resources Report by Andrew Ezzy The effects of waste disposal on groundwater quality in Tasmania was made public. Among many serious findings it stated that the Howrah Landfill site was an uncontrolled site. See also the Wentworth Park waste dump - Howrah Tipsite on Landfill pollution in Tasmania There was no monitoring done during landfilling or when the landfill was opened up for housing.

In 2003 Tasmania's State of the Environment Report acknowledged that at least 100 of 176 identified landfill sites were likely to contain toxic substances that could contaminate ground water and soil. Submissions from the Tasmanian Conservation Trust and various Tasmanian politicians to have such contaminated sites registered on land titles have been unsuccessful

A - Z Rivers
TO BE DEVELOPED
 * Arthur River
 * Bakers Creek
 * Derwent River
 * Duck River
 * George River
 * Hobart Rivulet
 * King River
 * Oonah Creek
 * Pea Soup Creek
 * Pieman River
 * Queen River
 * Savage River
 * Silver Lead Creek
 * South Esk River
 * St Pauls River
 * Tamar River
 * Waratah River
 * Zeehan Rivulet

A - Z Land

 * Austin's Ferry
 * Burnie
 * Tassie's toxic time bomb Nick Clark Mercury, 6 December, 2009


 * Chapel Street, Glenorchy
 * Geilston Bay
 * George Town
 * Goodwood
 * Gormanston
 * Lenah Valley
 * Lindisfarne Bay
 * Lutana
 * New Town Bay
 * Old Proctor's Road, Mt Nelson
 * Price of Wales Bay
 * Pottery Creek Road. Glenorchy
 * The Domain
 * Queenstown
 * Rosebery
 * LEAD Action News "Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania, Rosebery Heavy Metal Table 2008" Note: "House 2" in the Heavy Metal Table is 14 Murchison Street, Rosebery.

webpage below]
 * Royal George
 * Wentworth Park, Howrah - Click on Landfill pollution in Tasmania
 * Wellesley Park, South Hobart
 * Williamsford
 * Zeehan

[In coming months, TPEHN members will upload historical material on many of these waste-landfill sites and add Googlearth contacts]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Food quality in Tasmania
 * Landfill pollution in Tasmania
 * Marine pollution in Tasmania
 * One Health - Human, Animal & Environmental Health in Tasmania
 * Toxic heavy metals in Tasmania
 * Water pollution in Tasmania